This cockatoo is amongst the smaller of the cockatoo species. The male and female look the same. At first sight they look like a white cockatoo with salmon/peachy/pink feathers on the face, and a pale gray bill. The undersides of the wing and tail feathers have a yellowish tinge. The same as all members in the Cacatuidae family, a Goffin's cockatoo is crested, meaning with a bunch of feathers on its head that it can raise or lower. These cockatoos are very graceful when flying.

Geography

Biome

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Goffin’s cockatoos are diurnal and require daylight to find their food. They typically inhabit coastal lowland forests in flocks of up to 300. They feed up in the treetops and also raid maize crops. They are conspicuous noisy birds and are usually observed in small flocks or in pairs during the mating season. Pet Goffin’s cockatoos hand-reared from hatching are able to imitate human speech, but in general they do not make good talkers. Usually they are quiet, but can utter a loud screeching noise. Good as pets, they are sociable and friendly. Like most cockatoos, they like being handled and stroked. These birds are intelligent and can be trained and will learn tricks.

Mating Habits

This species is monogamous, and mates form long-lasting bonds. Not much is known about their reproductive behavior. They nest in tree hollows. Usually a clutch numbers 2-3 eggs. Male and female both share the incubation, which is for approximately 28 days. Chicks fledge at around 8-11 weeks.

Population

Population threats

Goffin’s cockatoo populations are under threat from habitat loss and illegal capturing for the trade in cage birds.

Population number

The IUCN Red List records the total of the Goffin’s cockatoo population size as around 100,000-499,999 individuals. The population in Taiwan is about 100 introduced breeding pairs. Currently this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) and their numbers today are decreasing.

Ecological niche

As eaters of fruit, Goffin’s cockatoos help disperse seeds.

Fun Facts for Kids

Cockatoos can copy the sounds made by other animals, including people.

A cockatoo is able to hold its food in one foot while breaking pieces off with the other foot.

Goffin’s cockatoos are named after a Dutch naval officer, Andreas Leopold Goffin, who was a friend of Otto Finsch, the naturalist, who discovered the bird.

This species has the reputation of being a “quieter cockatoo”. But it will screech, especially if it wants your attention. Not the best talker, this cockatoo might learn a good number of words and phrases.

Goffin’s cockatoos are fond of dancing to music, as are many other cockatoos.

Goffin’s cockatoos are very intelligent and particularly good at working out how to unlock the doors of cages. A study by Oxford University study in 2013 showed how these cockatoos are able to solve complex mechanical problems that involved undoing a number of locks in a series. One of them unlocked them all unaided in under two hours; and many of the others solved the problem with some help or by watching another cockatoo.